Environmental databases and several variables based on geoprocessing operations are used for a classification of Agropedoclimatic Zoning. This paper presents a case study of soybean carried out in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. PC-ArcInfo, Arcview, and SGI VGA softwares were used for data input, geoprocessing, and result presentation. Geoprocessing included the reclassification and overlay operations of information layers and their associated tables. Soil characteristics, such as fertility, texture, relief, effective depth, erosion susceptibility, drainage, rocks, and sodium saturation were assessed for soybean culture for all components of the soil map units of Rio Grande do Sul. An information layer for the pedologic aptitude of this culture was created and then overlaid with the sowing time layer for municipal districts, generating the final information for Agropedoclimatic Zoning. This method allowed the evaluation of: (a) every single component of the map units, and (b) results obtained in agreement with the percentage of occurrence of each component within the map unit.
soil; data base; SIG; interpretation
